


Outcasts

by theboybismarck



Category: Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Boarding School, Alternate Universe - No Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), M/M, Strangers to Lovers, Teenagers, The Bears Are People
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:33:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21926017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theboybismarck/pseuds/theboybismarck
Summary: Ryoma Hoshi is a killer.Korekiyo Shinguji is a victim.And they’re roommates.(Oh my god, they're roommates)
Relationships: Hoshi Ryoma/Shinguji Korekiyo, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 25
Kudos: 87





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey and welcome to I‘m Coping, the story where I cope.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before he has time to ruminate for too long, however, the door slowly creaks open again. In steps who Ryoma can only assume to be his roommate. He doesn’t look anything like how Ryoma would imagine an ultimate to look, or, well, anyone really. 

Ryoma Hoshi is a killer. Of course, you wouldn’t be able to tell that just by looking at him. He’s _maybe_ three and a half feet, with legs that don’t always like to bend the way he wills them and a face that his mother used to describe as cherubic, much to his chagrin. 

He wishes he could hear her say that now. 

This school, Hopes Peak Academy, honestly has a proportionately large amount of miscreants like him. Yakuza and genocidal authors and self-proclaimed leaders of the world, or so says the internet. That doesn’t make him feel any better. No, it makes him feel worse, in fact. Just like everything else. 

Hoshi takes a seat at the principal’s desk. Miss Monomi. What a name. He tries to listen as he is told his accommodations, but his head is so full of static that he cannot make heads or tails of what she’s saying. You will be accompanied by another student. You are not allowed to leave school premises. Something about an ankle monitor. Because of your exceptional- talent, we are making every effort we can to expedite your trial and offer you the best legal resources we can. There are psychiatric resources available on campus. If anyone takes pictures or does anything you’re uncomfortable with...

He fully zones out the rest. Why should it matter if he’s uncomfortable with something, anyways? He’s the freak that used his talent to kill, after all. People should take pictures. Warn their classmates. Protect each other. The more Ryoma Hoshi is outcast, the better, he thinks. 

He is given the directions to his dorm. He’s already accompanied by another student, some albino girl with a sword strapped to her back. He eyes her warily, yet she says nothing for a long time. Merely walks alongside him. After a moment, she clears her throat.

”My name’s Pekoyama.” No reply. “I’ve been tasked with walking you where you need to go. We have similar classes.” Still nothing. The silence isn’t pointed, it isn’t angry or uncomfortable. It’s just silence. So she continues. “My dorm room is right next to yours. Men typically do not room with women. However, if you need anything, feel free to knock.” 

Ryoma shakes his head. “Nah,” He says in a voice far gruffer than she imagined him to have, “I think I can manage. No sense in bothering you more than I already am.” Peko nods slightly, bemused. “‘Sides, I wouldn’t want to disturb your dormmate.” 

“I wouldn’t worry about that. Ibuki is...” Peko purses her lips. Was that a restrained smile? “She might disturb you more. Feel free to reach out regardless. And I’m sure your roommate will be happy to help you as well.” He nods noncommittally, as if not truly hearing what she’s saying. 

After denying Pekoyama’s offer of leading him to the dining hall, Hoshi’s finally alone in his dorm. He sets his meagre possessions on the side of the room that feels emptier, though the entire room is rather spotless. It barely even feels lived in. Shit, his roommates a neat freak. The only way Hoshi even knows what _bed_ is his is because the bedsheet and cover are folded neatly on top of the bed instead of already being on the bed. He sits down on this particular bed and starts unpacking the items he does have. Striped prison uniforms, check. He leaves those folded up. Toothbrush, toothpaste... he really doesn’t have much. No phone, no school supplies to speak of, no real reason to live, and no way of accessing any of those things. He’s a ward of the state. He isn’t really given a shit about. 

He fwumps back on his bed and closes his eyes, pressing two fingers to the bridge of his nose. He needs a cigarette. The past few weeks have really been a whirlwind, to say the least. He’s been in prison for a year, only to be told the nation’s Ultimate program wanted to give him some sort of second chance. 

A second chance wouldn‘t bring his family back, but slowly dying in a cushy boarding school really beats dying in a cold prison. And maybe the food would be better. So he accepted. But now that he‘s here, he doesn‘t know this was a good idea. He‘s going to die regardless. And the school might not even be able to help the whole going back to prison situation.

Whatever. He closes his eyes. All roads lead to the end, it seems. He should just... accept it. Do what he can while he’s here and pass on without a fight. There’s really nothing else he _can_ do, he figures.

He doesn’t know exactly how long he’s been laying there with his eyes closed. Maybe he drifted off to sleep at one point, he’s not really sure, but he jolts when he hears the sound of clamoring in the hallways. 

“Take it back!”

”Haha, what, is small-tits getting defensive or something? It’s alright, not everyone can be a busty goddess like me!” Ryoma hears some of the most grating laughter he’s ever heard in his life. Slowly, he stands up and goes to peer his head out of the door, trying to catch a glimpse of whoever’s the source of that _really loud guffawing._

A young woman stands in the hall among a crowd of others. She leans against the wall, one spiky black boot propped up against it as she laughs at the expense of a short red-head dressed in what appears to be a pretty elaborate wizard LARPing costume or something. Yeah, these were definitely ultimates. They looked too eccentric to be anything but. 

The short girl stamped her foot at the taller girl. “I’m not! Besides, doesn’t your back hurt a lot?” The taller blonde girl immediately shrinked at that. “Well, yeah.... but it’s worth it, you know!” She perked up immediately again and jabbed a finger into the air. “I, the gorgeous girl genius Miu Iruma, will simply invent something to hold my tits in place.” 

“Push-up bra...” One of the other students in the small group said. She was also blonde, with little music note clips in her hair. She looked to the side and scratched the side of her face with a finger as “Miu” stared at her, eyes wide. “ _Shit!_ ” She said, as if she hadn’t really thought of it. The music girl suppressed a laugh. 

Before Ryoma knew it, a small smile was playing on his lips. They were clearly close. Friends, probably having gone to Hope’s Peak together for a long time. His heart ached, longing for his own friends in the Tennis Club. They interacted much like this, teasing each other, maybe just a little less vulgar than this “Gorgeous girl genius.” 

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow, Miu,” The girl with the music clip said, “I promised Shuichi I’d help him practice the piano after dinner, and I’m already late.” 

“Ah! Don’t keep your boy toy waiting, Kaede! Go get ‘im!” The other girl blushed at this, before waving and turning away. The short redhead seemed to be asleep on her feet. 

More students crowded the hallway, probably having just came back from dinner. Ryoma made a mental note to avoid Miu Iruma, Gorgeous Girl Genius and closed the door, sealing himself off from the bustle again. He was... overwhelmed. Everyone seemed so happy and vibrant, and he was just... here. Hm. 

Before he has time to ruminate for too long, however, the door slowly creaks open again. In steps who Ryoma can only assume to be his roommate. He doesn’t look _anything_ like how Ryoma would imagine an ultimate to look, or, well, anyone really. 

He (Ryoma can only assume this person’s a he based on Pekoyama’s information) is dressed even more eccentric than Miu, with an Olive military-style unfirom, and a dark-grey mask that covered his face and neck. Bright amber eyes dart up and down Ryoma before he can even process this person, and immediately he feels... almost violated. Not physically, but emotionally. He feels like he just got psychoanalyzed by that piercing gaze. He stands in the doorway for a second, before simply saying “Oh,” and stepping out of the doorway, closing the door behind him. 

“I was told to expect a new roommate placement today, but I did not expect it to be so late in the day.” Ryoma sits up rigid, already feeling like an intruder. _New_ roommate placement implied something happened to the old one. That was ominous.

Unfazed by Ryoma’s lack of reply, the young man continues. “I am Korekiyo Shinguji, Ultimate Anthropologist. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I hope we can become acquaintances if not friends; it would be an excellent opportunity to study humanity from such a unique perspective.” Hoshi bristled a little at this. He wouldn’t exactly call prison a _unique experience_ as much as he would call it deeply traumatizing. But more importantly, his roommate already knew who he was. He’d be scared of him. 

“If I remember right, you’re Hoshi, correct? Now, that’s an interesting name...Star.” By this point, the anthropologist crossed the room to his bed and sat down on it, crossing his ankles in a way that could only be called _elegant._ “And from my research on you, this seems to hold true. It’s a rather admirable name. Continue to live up to it.” 

Ryoma felt a bit dizzy. _Research?_ He supposed it made sense for an anthropologist to be interested in the etymology of his name, not that he ever paid it too much mind, but research? Ryoma was a person, not a lab project. He scoffed a bit. “Iunno what you heard, Shinguji, but... those days are over. I’m not a star.” He looked away and took off his hat, throwing it on the small end table near his bed. “The man known as the Ultimate Tennis Pro... he doesn’t exist anymore.”

To his surprise, Korekiyo started laughing. His laugh sounded like... a very friendly snake. “Keheh... but he’s right in front of me, is he not?” He seemed to hold himself, closing his eyes. “The effects of trauma on the mind are extremely varying...” He seemed to muse. 

“Jeez, you really like to talk, huh?” Ryoma couldn’t help himself from saying, and those amber eyes opened again. “Ah, I apologize. I am very used to musing to myself in an empty room.” Ryoma finally understood what was so offputting about this guy. The Uncanny Valley. His voice was _just_ above a whisper, his features were _just_ hidden enough to seem almost nonexistent, and he was _just_ good enough at holding a conversation with practically himself to conceal the sadness in that seemed to reside just beneath his skin. Like it was a natural part of him.

“...You’re fine. Sorry, that was kinda rude of me, huh. You can talk all you want.” Ryoma settled down into his unmade bed and closed his eyes again, hoping that would put an end to the conversation. 

“Ah. Alright.” A small pause. “Thank you.” Ryoma doesn’t reply, though that seems to be quite the norm for him. He made a promise to himself before he came to this school: Don’t get attached. There’s no point in making friends if he’s just going back to prison in two years. Why should he leave a trail of broken hearts in his wake? He doesn’t want to do any more harm than he’s already done.

He hears the sounds of pages flipping on the other side of the room and the other boy mumbling words to himself. He cracks open his eye to see Shinguji tracing words in what appears to be a big storybook with his finger. His eyes are squinted a little in concentration, and he pauses every so often to make little notes in the margins with a pencil. He must be studying. Korekiyo looks up abruptly and makes eye contact with Hoshi, who immediately closes his eyes again. It’s a bit too late, however. 

He starts reading a little bit louder, so that Hoshi can hear the stories as well. When he stops to write in the margins, he reads his notes out loud as well. Hoshi learns that some houses in Norway have grass on the roofs and goats that just... go up there and eat the grass. He pretends to be asleep the entire time, but he must be a pretty bad faker. Korekiyo continues to read out loud until Hoshi falls asleep for real. 


	2. Bad Person

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kokichi crosses his legs at the knee and fans himself with the folder. "Not even first period and Monomi already called me into her office. What a bitch," he complains. "Oh well. Maybe I did it on purpose." He doubles over laughing suddenly, causing several at the table to jump. "Who am I kidding! Of course I did it on purpose," he says, his voice suddenly calm again. "I mean, Monomi's office has all of the good stuff. Like this. It's a folder on that weird new kid. Anyone seen him?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: mention of sexual assault (in passing) near the end of the chapter

Hoshi wakes with a start. It's still dark outside, the sun not having begun its daily passage across Hope's Peak High. He relaxes once he registers the warmth of the room and the relative softness of his bed. The room is illuminated in soft light, and Hoshi turns his head to find the source. 

His roommate sits at a small vanity on his side of the room, gracefully running a brush through his long hair. Hm. Shinguuji wears both a nightgown and his mask to sleep apparently, which seems both so strangely foreign and so strangely _him_ that Hoshi just accepts it as fact. He's humming to himself, a bit pitchy and offkey, but the tune is strangely familiar and calming. "You are up early," he says in a voice barely above a whisper, not turning his head to greet Hoshi. 

"Mm," Hoshi grumbles in reply, before kicking off the crumpled up sheets he'd managed to wrap himself in while he slept and standing up. He takes his time to actually make his bed, stretching the bedsheets over the bed and the pillow cover on the pillow. Almost immediately, he hops back into bed. He's not sure what time it is, or exactly when class starts for that matter, but bed seemed like a much more attractive prospect. It's comfortable, and Hoshi missed comforts. Blankets were coarse in prison, and pillows certainly weren't this downy or fluffy. 

He closes his eyes, and when he opens them again, the sun is rising outside and Korekiyo is fully-dressed, his ankles crossed as he reads from a book. This doesn't seem to be a book of folklore; it looked a bit more technical and slightly above Hoshi's reading level. 

As soon as Korekiyo sees that Hoshi is awake, he places a ribbon-like bookmark on his current page and closes his book with a rather heavy-sounding thunk. Amber-colored eyes meet Hoshi's. "Good morning again. You fell asleep again quickly... I didn't want to wake you. Pekoyama came by to guide you to the shared bathroom to get ready. I think she's still outside the door." Outside the door? Hoshi begrudgingly rolls out of his bed, landing on his tiny feet and shuffling over to the door, opening it. On the other side is Pekoyama and a baby-faced boy with blonde hair clipped short. They seemed to be having a conversation, but stopped talking abruptly when the door opened. 

"Oh... uh. Hey, Pekoyama." Hoshi leans against the doorframe and moves to pull his hat down further on his head, but just ends up touching his forehead again. Damn, he really needs to put that thing on again. "And hey, uh." 

The kid doesn't say anything. Instead, he scoffs and looks to the side, crossing his arms. "This is Kuzuryuu Fuyuhiko," Pekoyama says. "He is my young Master. He will be accompanying us." 

"You really don't have to call me that, you know." His gaze seems to soften. "I'm her friend. Anyways, apparently she's s'posed to escort you around or some shit. Damn, I'm the Ultimate Yakuza and even I don't have to have some sort of fucking bodyguard! What'd you do?"

Yakuza. Hoshi immediately bristles, his eyes narrowing. Now he really wishes he had his hat; he doesn't especially like to look angry. His mom used to say that made him look like some sort of demon baby, like Chuckie or something. That used to make him laugh, and he wouldn't be a demon baby anymore. Now he just feels hollow. A hollow demon baby. 

"I killed someone," he says bluntly. He's itching for a cigarette and it's not even time for first period yet. "Gimme a sec." He trots back over near his bed and grabs what he needs to start the day, taking a moment to jam his hat back on his head. He gives a parting nod to Korekiyo, who is too invested in his book to see, then he pushes past the Yakuza and the Swordswoman, hoping that they follow him. "Damn, what's his problem?" He hears Kuzuryuu mumble to Pekoyama. She says something back, but he tunes it out. He has a feeling he's going to need to get used to that. 

* * *

After he brushes his teeth and washes his face and all of that jazz, Hoshi is escorted to breakfast by the two upperclassmen. He's a bit late; he didn't know how to work the sink, or the faucets on the shower, and he has to deal with the echoing chatter of the bathroom. Boys pushing each other and laughing and showering and combing and rough-housing. There probably weren't even that many guys in there, but he still waited until most of the chatter had passed.

Hoshi doesn't really know where to sit. Now that they're in a communal setting, he doesn't need to be near Peko. So he's free to find a table and make friends or whatever. He quickly susses out the scene. Everyone here look so... abnormal. Different hair colors and outfits and such visible personalities. Everyone stands out. Not only that, but everyone is so loud. He spots the loud blonde girl from earlier, Miu or something, just because her laugh is so obnoxious. 

Korekiyo practically sits alone. He's drinking from a can of green tea and glancing at the table where Miu was sitting; definitely one of the loudest tables in the cafeteria. He seems to be watching. Hoshi doesn't really have anywhere else to sit, so to the table he goes. There's a few other people at the table. They're all sitting a little bit apart and seem really quiet. It doesn't feel awkward; maybe it's a routine. And now Hoshi is the intruder. 

Korekiyo gives him a fleeting smile (or he assumes, why's he always wearing a mask) before diverting his attention back to the raucousness across the room. Hoshi doesn't really feel up to breakfast, so he just drums his fingers on the table for a while. He gets bored of that after a while, and decides to rest his arms on the table and his head on his arms, people watching with rather blurry eyes. 

"Kokichi! Don't do that!" He lifts his head a little bit. Whoa, that's a big guy. This really huge guy with long, unruly hair is pleading with this other kid that looks like an absolute shrimp in comparison. The other kid giggles in a cutesy way, and it immediately grates on Hoshi's nerves. Maybe he just doesn't like laughter. How edgy is that? He snorts a little bit at his own predicament. 

The little guy, Kokichi, is waving a folder in the air. He struts over to the table where Miu is sitting, and knocks her tray to the side, sitting where it once was. "Hey! I was eating' that, Cock-itchy!" She complains, he ignores. This seems routine. 

He crosses his legs at the knee and fans himself with the folder. "Not even first period and Monomi already called me into her office. What a bitch," he complains. "Oh well. Maybe I did it on purpose." He doubles over laughing suddenly, causing several at the table to jump. "Who am I kidding! Of course I did it on purpose," he says, his voice suddenly calm again. "I mean, Monomi's office has all of the good stuff. Like this. It's a folder on that weird new kid. Anyone seen him?"

Hoshi's pretty sure that's talking about him. Korekiyo makes a small noise that almost seems noncommittal and takes another sip of his tea.

"Lesse here... WHAT! Hahahaha, three foot five! He's smaller than a 6 year old and he was in jail, hahah, at least he didn't have far to reach if he dropped the soap! Even that Teru kid is taller than _that!_ "

"Kokichi, that's not funny," a girl chides, though Hoshi can't see who it is, since he's pulled his hat so far down over his face. He takes deep breaths, trying to calm himself. He's used to people making fun of his height, but he really didn't think the bullying would get so.. personal so soon. He really doesn't want to have a flashback in the cafeteria, thank you very much. "They got coffee around here?" Hoshi directs the question to no one in particular, his voice somehow gruffer than usual. "There's a vending machine just outside. I'm sure it will not be a big deal if you get something." Korekiyo's reading a book at the table now, turning the page as he replies.

"No cash," Hoshi replies. A girl sitting near the two suddenly stands, leaving her breakfast practically untouched, and dashes across the cafeteria. She returns with the can of coffee, cold brew, and hands it to Hoshi. She has grey hair and a quiet, sad sort of smile. "Oh... thanks." He's quiet. "I can't really repay you. Damn, you didn't have to do that." He's kind of overcome. Strangers don't typically do nice things for him. 

The woman sits back down with her food. "You don't have to," She replies, almost matter-of-fact. "I am Kirumi Toujo, the Ultimate Maid. I preform the tasks others request of me; that is my talent." Hoshi tosses the can between both of his hands rapidly, back and forth. "Oh. It's, uh, nice to meet you, Toujo. You don't have to do that for me though... I don't really deserve anything like that, y'know." 

Before she can respond, the big guy from before suddenly storms over from who-knows-where and sits himself down right across from Hoshi. Damn, this guy is even scarier up close. He's got narrow red eyes and he looks hopping mad. Alright, this is the response that Hoshi expected. He knew there would be trouble, schoolchildren are especially vicious, but he didn't think it'd be so soon. Must have been something in that kid's folder. He puts his hands on the table, preparing to stand up. 

"Gonta don't believe that you are a bad person!" The big guy blurts out, banging one of his hands on the table. Hoshi jumps; no one else does. "Uh... sorry?"

"Gonta don't believe that you are a bad person!" He repeats himself verbatim, inflection and everything. "Kokichi tells lies all the time! So Hoshi not a bad person! Gonta is going to be Hoshi's friend!" He blinks, as if remembering something. "Oh! Hello!" He jabs his big hand in front of Hoshi's face. "Gonta is Gonta! Gokuhara! He be the ultimate entomologist!! Um... not everyone know what that means though..." His face clouds over suddenly, and he looks scarier than usual. "Like... like bugs! Gonta likes bugs!" Hoshi gets the feeling that this guy might not be the sharpest tool in the shed. That's fine though, he wasn't exactly the SHSL Social Cues himself. 

He notices that the normally loud table nearby has gone quite silent. He feels like people are watching him, but he quite literally cannot see past the absolute unit that is this Gonta Gokuhara. He (with no little amount of reservation) slowly extends his own hand. Gonta's hand practically swallows him in a way-too-excited shake that almost sends Hoshi flying off the table. "Uh. Hoshi Ryouma."

"Does Hoshi like bugs too!" Hoshi pauses, seriously giving the question some thought. He closes his eyes and leans back. He remembers the time a ladybug landed on his nose when he was playing doubles with a neighboring team, and the fireflies that would practically light up the courts on late summer evenings when he and his team were wrapping up. "Yeah, I guess I do," he says. And then he remembers the roaches in jail. "'Cept roaches. I hate those."

"Oh! Blattodea!" Gonta perks up. "They not all so bad! Um, Gonta understands that sometimes they hurt people... in their houses and stuff. But lots of roaches be in the wild too and they really help the ecosystem! Like the Madagascar hissing cockroach- wait, um, but in some places it's invasive and that hurt the environment too..." 

This guy just keeps going on and on about cockroaches (and termites, for some reason), and Hoshi has half a mind to tune him out. Gonta's face really does light up when he talks about something he likes though, and he seems way less scary. Kind of like a big teddy bear. 

"Oh my god, Gonta, you're boring him to death!" There was the voice of that kid again, Kokichi. He springs up almost out of nowhere and seats himself on Gonta, lounging like he's some kind of chair. "Give him a break." Kokichi turns his attention to Ryouma and smiles cutely. "Betcha didn't have to do all this talking in prison, huh?"

There it was. Hoshi shrugs. "Mm. S'fine. I think it's interesting, anyways... keeps me from having to say much. Kokichi, right?" The other boy nods, purple hair bouncing. He was so animated it was almost as if he were some sort of cartoon. "Kokichi Ouma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader, at your service! Ooh, we're in the same class! Or at least that's what your file says." 

"That's not an official title," Korekiyo says, causing Hoshi to jump again. He honestly forgot the guy was there. "Huh?"

"His Ultimate isn't Supreme Leader; that's not a real talent," Korekiyo says calmly. Kokichi bursts into tears on the spot. "You're so mean, Korekiyo!! Why can't that be an ultimate, huh? You're really mean to me! My talent is super real and important," he whines. "Just wait until I sic my subordinates on you! Waah, you'll regret being so cruel then!" 

"Kokichi, stop the theatrics," A girl. calls from the other table, and Kokichi stops crying almost immediately. He wipes his face and smiles. Hoshi knew they were crocodile tears the entire time, so he's not too surprised. "Sure thing, Maki Roll!"

"Don't call me that," the same voice calls back, a bit darker this time, and Kokichi clings to Gonta, pretending to cower. "Waah, Maki's mean too... You know, for the Ultimate Children's Nanny or whatever, you think she'd be way nicer!" Gonta pats the small boy's back, albeit awkwardly. "Gonta sure she's good with real kids...: 

Hoshi was starting to get a headache. So much was happening all of the time. Kids were slowly beginning to filter out of the cafeteria, probably to get ready for their first class of the day, and he has half a mind to join him. He downs the rest of his coffee quickly and tosses the can into a trash bin a few yards away, before standing. "This has been real.. enlightening," He says hesitantly. "I'm gonna go now, though." He nods to Gonta. "Thanks for the talk. You'd do well to keep away from me, though. Your friend here," he jerks his thumb towards Kokichi, "he may be a liar, but he's right that I'm a bad person. I'd probably listen to him if I were you." 

With that, he turns on his heel and strolls off, going to find Pekoyama so he could go to class. Korekiyo stares after him, expression hidden behind his mask. He closes his book thoughtfully.

"Hm."


	3. Tennis Rackets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He looks up, and everything's cloudy and fuzzy. He feels like he should be looking up at a corpse, a body with a shot put denting his skull, brain matter splattering this way and that against the concrete. It should be dark, dark and cold, but it's warm and sunny and green. And there are two unfamiliar faces, not a dead body. There should be a dead body. He killed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sagishi is shsl imposter btw... not calling them byakuya for story purposes and also they deserve better than that :/
> 
> also I want hoshi to befriend the sdr2s so this is self indulgent

Hoshi finds Peko and Fuyuhiko, who escort him to his class. He thinks he would be nervous to start school, but he's not. The "education" part of his education is easy enough. He reads the books, takes the notes, gets a C on the exam, and moves up in the ranks. He's more nervous about the "Ultimate" deal. As the Ultimate Tennis Pro, Hoshi has to pick up a racket for the first time since... well. 

Needless to say, he's not exactly enthused. 

After being dropped off at class by his escorts, Hoshi is directed to his seat by the teacher of his class. It's relatively small, which he guesses is to be expected for Ultimates. He feels lucky to have a seat by the window. He misses looking outside, and the scenery is gorgeous. There's a small community garden he can see from his vantage point, with vegetables cropping up and flowers surrounding it of all different colors. In the air of late summer/early fall, the plants look their lushest and greenest, but he really wonders how it looks in fall, with the seasonal crops in their full glory, and he wonders if maybe there are roses that come up-

"Oh! Hoshi!" The boy's attention is drawn away from the window at the (loud and excitable) mention of his name. The big guy from before, Gokuhara, was waving at him frantically, a cheerful grin plastered on his face. "Hi! You're in Gonta's class! That's nice!" Almost immediately, Hoshi shrinks further into himself, face reddening from embarrassment. He offers up a small barely-wave, and the big guy plunks himself down right next to Hoshi. How he manages to squeeze himself into that desk Hoshi will never know. "Gonta's happy to have someone sitting to his left! Very new experience for Gonta," he muses.

"Mhm," Hoshi says noncommittally, his feet absently swinging. Gonta continues talking about nothing in particular, and Hoshi's paying attention, mostly anyways, as he looks out the window. Other classmates begin to file in, and Hoshi doesn't pay any of them any mind. He's too busy looking at the garden and half-listening to facts about Hexapoda. "Oh, Hoshi! Do you have a pencil? Here, borrow one of Gonta's!" 

Ryouma looks over to the proffered pencil and then to Gonta. "You don't really listen, huh?" The poor boy looked confused, and Hoshi would feel pretty bad if he weren't terribly confused himself. "What'd I tell you in the cafeteria? It's not... You shouldn't be around me."

"But Gonta doesn't believe that! Gonta doesn't think there are bad people, especially not Hoshi! Hoshi been kind to Gonta... listen to him talk about bugs without getting scared. People think Gonta is scary too, and people think bugs are scary, but Gonta isn't! Gonta isn't scary!" The way he's raising his voice and his eyes sort of storm over would lead most other people to believe otherwise. Even some of his classmates glance over and then look away, as if nervous. "So we can be not scary together!"

Now Hoshi feels bad, for sure. This kid's been so left behind by his peers that he's forced to try to make friends with a killer. How awful is that? He takes the pencil with a small nod of gratitude. "You're insistent," is all he says, before turning back to the window. Gonta seems to understand what Hoshi's trying to say and smiles, even though the smaller boy can't see it. It's not a yes, but... it's not a no, either. And Gonta's fine with that. 

Soon enough, most of the seats are filled. Gonta's to Hoshi's right. Ahead of him is a brunette girl, and behind him is...Oh. It's Shinguji.

He twists his body around to get a glimpse of the person behind him and is met with his dormmate's amber eyes. His eyebrows raise (in greeting? acknowledgment?) and he motions with his hand to the window. "You have a very nice spot here for people-watching," he says, before saying hello or anything. Again, Hoshi can't judge, he's not the best of human interaction either. Maybe that's a requirement for being an Ultimate because he hasn't had a normal human interaction since arriving. Or maybe he's been in the hole so long that he forgot how people talk, and this _was_ normal. Either way, he's finding his state of mild discomfort to be almost perpetual.

"Sometimes, in the middle of the day, those with more scientific oriented talents do their field research over there." He points with an elegant, wrapped finger to the gardens. "Gokuhara, for example, has been doing some work with pollinators. You can perhaps even thank him for the view you are blessed with."

Gonta had snapped to attention at the mention of his name and now beamed and flushed, obviously happy with the praise he'd been given. "Do not thank Gonta! Thank the bees! Ultimate Beekeeper helped too!" 

"Nonsense. You did just as much work." Korekiyo waved his hand and turned most of his attention back to Hoshi. "Perhaps during lunch, I will be permitted to give you a tour of the outside facilities. But for now, I suppose just the window will do." 

Before Hoshi could say anything (maybe that he wasn't interested, or that he needed a trained and powerful escort because he was, you know, a murderer), a resounding "Yo!" disrupted their conversation. A tall, dark man strode into the room like he owned the place, tossing a few manila folders on the teacher's desk at the front of the room and practically diving into the teacher's chair, kicking up his feet on the desk. This seemed to be normal behavior, and again Hoshi felt very out of touch. Was this the teacher?

"Alright! Homeroom! Uh," The man scratched the top of his head, wild dreads flying this way and that. "Whoa! Seems like we've got a new face today. You wanna come up and introduce yourself, dude?" 

Yeah, Hoshi's 100% sure a teacher shouldn't be calling him dude. All eyes are on him now. He doesn't glance around the room, not wanting to see anyone's face. He ducks his head down, and sort of mumbles, "Ryouma Hoshi. Ultimate Tennis Pro." 

"Uh, what was that lil' dude? Can't hear ya. Come on, come up here!" The teacher's frantically waving his hands in a 'come here' gesture. Sighing, he heaves himself up from his desk and walks to the front of the room. "Uh, Hoshi. Hoshi Ryouma. I'm the Ultimate Tennis Pro. Uh... I grew up in Kyoto..? I guess, uh. Yeah." He's sort of dropping his voice off into a mumble, and Kokichi sees this as an opportunity.

"Is that where you murdered that guy?" Kokichi yells out, and Hoshi's eyes dart up to meet his. Kokichi's eyes are sparkling, like he genuinely wants to know the answer. In a weird way, Hoshi's almost kind of happy. It's like ripping off a band-aid. It's all out in the air now, and hopefully, he can push past it and have an okay year from this point on. There's a bit of murmuring from the students, and it's clear the teacher doesn't know what to do in this situation. 

A guy in the back exclaims suddenly and hits a hand on his desk. "You!" Hoshi waits, not sure where this is going. "Right! I remember now! You were like, the best tennis player in your secondary school! Like, not even adults could beat this guy's skill! Oh my gosh, this is so awesome!" This guy has a serious case of bedhead, red-purple strands flying this way and that, and he looks like he's wearing pajamas. Stylish pajamas, but pajamas nonetheless. It's not like anyone else was exactly in _uniform,_ what with all the additions and changes they've made to the standard attire, but he could at least make an effort, right? Anyways, he's fanboy-ing over Hoshi, who doesn't really know how to feel about that.

"Oh, right," Another boy joins in. He taps a finger on his chin as if in thought. "Killer Tennis. I remember that case." Hoshi cringed a bit at the name but tried not to let his disgust and discomfort show too much. He shoves his hands in his pockets and glances to the teacher, who looks a bit like a fish out of water. He's paling a bit and looking at Hoshi, and the last thing that a teacher should say comes from his mouth. " _You_ killed someone?"

He doesn't seem in disbelief that a teenager could commit such a crime, but more incredulous that Hoshi did something like that. He gets it, he knows, he's short or whatever, but weapons are weapons. Most people can use weapons. Sheesh. Besides, he would have thought that Monomi or whatever her name was would have filled him in on the situation. It's weird that she hasn't. He's thinking all that and the teacher sort of waves his hands dismissively and shakes his head, dreads flying every direction. "Nevermind. That's your business!" 

Hoshi feels numb from the amount of weird going on. "My name's Yasuhiro Hagakure! But you can call me Yasuhiro! No mister! None of that!" He shakes his head again. "Hell, I don't care what you call me as long as I know it's me, hah!" The guy seems nervous. Okay, that's not so bad. Having a teacher be nervous around you isn't the worst thing. Hoshi's pretty sure he can ask this guy for a higher grade and get it. If this is his homeroom teacher, he feels like he's lucked out a little. Of course, it'd be shitty to do something like that, but if worse comes to worst, it's an option. He shuffles back to his seat before casting a final glare at Kokichi, who immediately clings to another kid.

"Shumai! Look! Look at the face he just gave me! What if I'm next??" He sniffles, and the other boy rolls his eyes but makes no effort to pull him off. 

The brunette in front of Hoshi turns around. Her face has a lot of hard lines, that's the first thing Hoshi notices, like her sharp-ish nose and cupid's bow. She looks stern as she casts her eyes above Hoshi's head. "Shut up, Ouma," She calls out, before huffing. "Don't pay attention to him. He's like a petulant child. Treats me the same way." She holds out her hand. "I'm Maki. Maki Harukawa. I'm the Ultimate Children's Caregiver." Without hesitation, Hoshi takes her hand and shakes it. She has a presence that's commanding, maybe it comes from having to keep kids in line, but he feels a bit connected to her in a way he didn't feel to anyone else he's seen or met so far. She has something similar in her face to him, he thinks. Not literally, but something. She looks sad. Even though her face is neutral, a little severe, she looks sad.

"If you need anything, just let me know." Before he could say anything, she turns back around and busies herself on her phone. Maybe she knew he'd say no, not to bother. Gratitude swells in Hoshi's chest. 

During the course of the first classes before lunch, Hoshi finds out he hasn't been given any of the course books. He then finds out this is Hagakure's fault for not listening to Monomi (apparently she _did_ give him the rundown on Hoshi's Special Situation), and the teacher makes a big deal out of running back and forth and getting the books. It's _embarrassing._ And strange. His eccentricities seem to be just a part of the daily life of the class, no one really pays him any mind. Apparently, that's just how he is. 

It all passes by in kind of a blur. World History, Pre-Calc, English. Hoshi's really good at English. He traveled to America a lot after all, for games and to see his girlfriend and her family. He's one of the best students in it by far, and some of the other kids seem impressed. Bedhead guy's pretty good at it too though, and he's amazing at math. He answers pretty much every question with such enthusiasm. Math.... eh. Hoshi's not the best student to begin with, but when numbers are in the equation that aren't 15, 30, or 40, he loses interest. 

Maki invites Ryouma to sit next to him during lunch, but he declines. He sits down at the table next to Kirumi and sits in relative, companionable silence. She offers to buy him something, he refuses. Really isn't hungry. Her face shows concern, but she says nothing. Korekiyo is absent. Ryouma ends up taking a nap, hunched over the cafeteria table with his head in his arms. Kirumi wakes him up when lunch is over. 

After this, it's time for practice regarding talents. Peko leads him to the gym, which is this super technically advanced state-of-the-art facility that blows Hoshi's mind. There's a woman there, directing different highschoolers and monitoring their activities. A broad man stands next to her, doing some of the same. None of the students pay him much mind. They're busy with volleyball, and fencing, and hand-to-hand combat, and gymnastics. Peko gives him a nod, and then she's gone. Probably off to do swordsy things.

The woman waves Hoshi over and introduces herself as Asahina, the former Ultimate Swimmer. She introduces the man next to her as Nekomaru, the current Ultimate Coach, and Hoshi balks a bit because this guy looks like a fully grown man, maybe even genetically crossbred with a bear or a lion or something. He's ripped. Nekomaru promises to give Hoshi a run for his money, whatever that means, and then it's time for him to pick up a racket again.

Nekomaru takes him outside. Of course, the school has top-of-the-line everything, there's even a tennis court outside. Two upperclassmen are playing together. They're decent for high school amateurs, but even from here Hoshi can see one of them needs to really work on their backswing. They swing wide, really wide, and it's easy to get an out that way. Yep, there it is. Out.

"Wah! Out again!" 

Nekomaru calls out to one of them. "Mioda! Shouldn't you be practicing?"

The girl that sent her ball out winks at him and sticks out her tongue. "Need my voice to be ready for tonight! I got a concert, baby!" Ironic, since she's practically screaming it. Nekomaru laughs. They're probably friends, Hoshi thinks. "Hey, do you think you can play a game with our new student? He's Ultimate Tennis and I really wanna see his skills!"

The girl lights up and jumps around. "Oh! Oh! Ibuki would like to!" She calls across the court to the other upperclassman. "Sagishi!! Ibuki's gonna be playing against Ultimate Tennis!"

The other person, a rather overweight individual of ambiguous gender, looks a bit put out. They seemed to have been having fun, and before Hoshi can stop himself, he says, "Well, uh, I am Ultimate, so... Why don't you both play me? 2v1, or whatever. Keep it fair." 

The other person's round face immediately lights up, and Hoshi suppresses a smile. His hands are shaking a bit, and adrenaline is coursing through his body. He doesn't know if it's the anticipation of being back on the courts or something else. The girl tosses Hoshi her racket, and he catches it without thinking.

The weight of the racket in his hand is familiar, too familiar. He looks down at the handle, the strings, and it feels too heavy. And there's blood. There has to be blood, spattered along the ground, Hoshi's hand, the racket, his face. He moves his hand up to touch his cheek and his brain is telling him the hand should come back wet, pink. Because he killed him. 

He looks up, and everything's cloudy and fuzzy. He feels like he should be looking up at a corpse, a body with a shot put denting his skull, brain matter splattering this way and that against the concrete. It should be dark, dark and cold, but it's warm and sunny and green. And there are two unfamiliar faces, not a dead body. There should be a dead body. He killed him.

"Oh! Are you okay?" A loud unfamiliar voice cuts through the haze, piercing Hoshi's ears, but he can't really seem to recognize where it came from. No one asked if he was okay that night. No one asked if he was okay the night those people killed his mother, and father, and little sister. The last time someone asked him if it was okay... It was his girlfriend. His girlfriend, when Hoshi showed up unannounced at her doorstep in Arizona. It was night then, too, her curly hair in a bonnet. She held a toothbrush in her hand and foam on her lips and she looked beautiful, really beautiful, but he couldn't think about that because he was trying to get her somewhere safe. He wasn't successful with that, either.

There should be blood.

Hoshi doesn't know when he fell backward, or maybe he fainted or something, but someone was hovering over him and he flinched. It should be darker. He raised his racket in the air, preparing to swing, to defend himself if he needed to, but was stopped when someone grabbed his wrist.

This isn't what happened. No one stopped him. He struggled, eyes wild, against the grip of his assailant, not knowing if it was light or dark or bloody or clean or concrete or turf. He was angry. And he was scared. He dropped the racket.

The person pulled him into a hug, and Hoshi was met with softness. His body went limp. He seemed to come back into himself, his mind returning from that night. And he realizes he's being hugged, and he doesn't want it to end, not really. 

"M'fine," He says. Mioda is fretting somewhere to his right, wondering if she did something wrong. Hoshi's ears are buzzing a bit, and his heart refuses to calm down. 

Sagishi slowly loosens their grip on Hoshi, but they still have an arm around him. It's not the type of hold someone has when they're trying to restrain someone. Hoshi knows that hold far too intimately. It's more comforting than that, a hand on his shoulder, rubbing circles. He tries to breathe with them, to calm down. It's light outside, and warm, and he's at school. 

"Are you okay?" Their little eyebrows are raised and scrunched up with concern, and Hoshi shrugs. He doesn't trust his voice, doesn't want it to betray how scared he feels with shuddering breaths and cracking words. His legs and lips are numb from the panic, and his heart feels seized. He tries to stand but finds that he can't quite make it off the ground. Sagishi stands, and without asking for permission, picks him up from the ground. Hoshi flails a bit, before going limp again. He's really too tired to protest. "I'm taking you to see Monomi." 

Sagishi sets out, leaving the other two behind. Hoshi can immediately see that they have... he doesn't really know what to call it. They give off this almost paternal energy, a protective aura that genuinely makes Hoshi feel safe. He can feel that it's warm, and he knows where he is. He isn't _there_ anymore. 

He still struggles to understand why everyone's being so kind to him. And he's wondering why he feels like he's being watched from somewhere. Maybe he's still _there,_ just a little.


	4. Nobody

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this ones very short :( i have like 0 spoons and as much as I wanna update everything mental health takes precedent and some awful things have been happening recently

Few things are more embarrassing as being carried through the halls by an upperclassman, eyes red from crying and sniffling every once in a while like a baby. Being as small as Hoshi is doesn't help either. Half of him just wants to bury his head in this kind person's shoulder and take a nap or something, but his dignity refuses to allow that. Instead, he clears his throat once and stutters as he speaks. "Uh, mind puttin' me down? It's not like I don't appreciate it, but.."

Without another word, he's set down rather gracefully. "Are you sure you're alright to walk?" Hoshi brushes off the upperclassman's concerns and fidgets with his hands, pulling at the brim of his hat and fiddling with his pockets. "Yeah, yeah, s'fine." He can't shake that feeling like he's being watched, though he understands it's probably a mix of some fucked up sense of paranoia and Sagishi's rather bright blue eyes looking at him like they're scared he''s going to run off if they don't stare. His face is red, partway from the embarrassment and partway from shame. Today was supposed to be normal. Some sort of hope for the future, maybe. Instead, he's just gone and made himself a burden on someone else. He keeps his head down and brushes off his companion's concerns like they're nothing. 

Soon, they're at Monomi's office, sitting in wooden chairs across from her. Hoshi doesn't say a word until after Sagishi's done explaining, only stepping in to say that it's not really important, that it's nothing, not worth making such a huge fuss over. He shrugs to mask the fact that he's still shaking, but it doesn't seem that anyone buys it at all. Monomi laces her hands together and leans forwards. "Hoshi, have you ever been to counseling? Any sort of therapy? It's very useful you know! Almost anyone can benefit from a little face time with-"

"Got no use for it," he says, shaking his head. "Waste of time." He hopes he isn't made to explain further. She's probably really busy, and wasting her time on something like this takes resources away from actual students, doesn't it? 

She tilts her head to one side, eyes big and hurt as if Hoshi had personally insulted her, and he feels his shoulders hunch up a bit, uncomfortable. "I just mean... you know. I'm not gonna be here very long is all. What's the point if I'm just gonna go back?" He tries to make his voice light, but simply ends up sounding bitter. Sagishi puts a hand on his shoulder. "This seems... a bit personal. If you see me around, check in, okay? Just want to make sure you're alright." Before Hoshi can say anything, they prepare to leave, standing up and pushing in their chair. 

That sort of makes things easier. It's easier for Hoshi to take about more personal things without others around, especially strangers, and this other kid seemed to sense that so readily. He wonders what their ultimate is, but he can't really waste time thinking about it because Sagishi gives out a rather strangled cry when they're at the door, jumping about a foot in the air. 

"Oh, excuse me," comes the smooth reply, like snakeskin. It's Korekiyo, standing in the doorframe. He moves to the side to allow Sagishi to past, before entering the room and cracking the door behind him. What an ominous action. Why is he here? It seems too lucky to be mere coincidence. 

"Were you following us?" Hoshi asks before he can stop himself. His eyebrows scrunch together, indignant, and he crosses his arms over his chest, defensive. Korekiyo, however, simply nods as if it is the most obvious thing in the world. "Well... I appreciate your honesty," Hoshi mumbles, one hand falling to his pocket. By instinct, he's reaching for cigarettes that he doesn't have. Instead, he moves to drum his fingers on Monomi's pretty pink (probably expensive) desk. "Should I ask why, or are you gonna be cryptic about that too?" 

Shinguuji laughs again, and then blinks as if surprised by himself. He makes a motion to Monomi as he glides across the room to take the seat that was previously occupied by the Ultimate Imposter. "To talk to the principal. Why else would I be at the principal's office?" He crosses his legs at the ankle as he answers. Cagey bastard. Hoshi allows himself to be miffed at the other boy's actions; it serves as a distraction from being panicked and agitated, after all. 

"Well, Korekiyo, as you can see, I'm a bit busy at the moment! Can you wait outside the office until I'm done talking with Ryouma, please?" Her voice pitched up a bit at the end of the question in this adorable way that definitely did not remind Hoshi of a kitten given an inquisitive meow when met with something new. "Oh, but my question very much has to do with Hoshi." He gestures again with wrapped hands, this time to the smaller boy. 

Great, an easy out. Hoshi assumes that Korekiyo probably wants to room with someone else, rooming with a murderer is too much stress for him, he's being ostracized by his peers, etcetera, which is fine and manageable, unlike being pressured to go to therapy and waste everyone's time and resources. "Well, yeah, might as well hear him out." Hoshi tries to pretend to be interested, sweeping the _other_ conversation under the rug for the time being. 

Korekiyo claps his hands together once. The corners of his eyes crinkle; he's smiling for some reason. "Wonderful. As you are aware, Hoshi is relatively new to Hope's Peak Academy." Nice mansplaining, Korekiyo. Of course she knows, she's the fucking principal. Hoshi can't help his lips from quirking up in the smallest of smirks. "And as such, he is quite unfamiliar with the layout of this school. And it is a rather large facility, although it may not seem like much from street view. I feel as this might be the perfect opportunity for me to put my skills as an Anthropologist to some use, and give him a tour of the facilities for the rest of the day." 

Monomi doesn't balk at that idea immediately, much to Hoshi's surprise. He's supposed to have _guards_ and everything, after all. And no offense to Korekiyo, but he's built kind of like a stick figure. But who knows, maybe he turns out to _also_ be some kind of Super High School Level Field Goal Kicker and fucking punts Hoshi like a(n American) football if he tries anything. 

She casts him a sympathetic look. "Well, you have had a rough afternoon, haven't you? Something like this to get you acclimated might make things a little easier on you." Her voice has this pitying twinge to it that has something lurching in Hoshi's stomach. He doesn't like to be pitied. He doesn't like to be seen as a victim. He knows who the real victims are. 

On the other hand, however, he doesn't really want to go back to the courts right now, and excusing himself to his dorm to stare at blank walls would probably drive him crazy. And Korekiyo is relatively safe. He doesn't seem to be especially judgemental of Hoshi, which probably just comes with being an anthropologist. Despite how downright offputting he is from head to toe, he feels a lot more approachable than some of the more... colorful characters he's seen. He seems to be a guy that sticks to the shadows. Like Hoshi. A nobody. 

Yeesh, okay, let's tone down the edge a little bit, Ryouma. Plenty of time for that tonight when you crawl into bed and regret every choice that got you there. 

Hoshi realizes he hasn't accepted or refused the proposal, having been in his own head for twenty-something seconds. He shrugs. "Sure. It'll save me a lot of time running around and asking questions if I have to get somewhere." Korekiyo claps his hands together again, though this time it seems more involuntary. He's genuinely excited. 

"Alright, I'll excuse you two from your afternoon activities. And Hoshi," She gives him a sidelong glance, "Please come back and see me tomorrow so we can finish our conversation!" She gives him a chipper smile and sends them both on their way. "Oh, and leave my door open on the way out please?"

* * *

Korekiyo wanted to start indoors. Most everyone was tucked away in classrooms or courtyards honing their talent, a perfect time to show a newbie everything there was to see without bumping into everyone in the halls. Of course, there was an occasional straggler or skipper, but for the most part, it was quiet. 

They started at the top and worked their way down. "Lots of the rooms up here are quite empty. They're used for practicing music, and are largely soundproofed for this purpose." Hoshi could hear the dull thud of drums in one of the rooms, but it definitely wasn't loud enough to be intrusive, and he couldn't even really tell which room it was coming from. "One of the girls in our class spends practically half her life here. Her name is Kaede. I'm sure she'd give you a concert sometime if you asked. She's performed pieces for me on several occasions. She knows a lot of Romantic composers, from Chopin to Tchaikovsky. I feel like the art of classical music has been lost throughout the years. It's nice to have a place to come and simply listen to a piece of history performed so well." 

Hoshi understood a few of those words. Not all of them, but a few. He's more than willing to listen to Korekiyo chit-chat about classical music as they stroll down the first hallway, even if he doesn't know jackshit about chromaticism or timbre or pitches. They're just words, but it's nice to listen to Korekiyo say words. He sounds like a professor in a topic that Hoshi has never studied before. He can almost feel the residual smartness soaking into his head. He thinks about what it would be like to just throw words like that in conversation. _Oh, Chopin? Yes, I like the **chromaticism** of his pieces. Flows well._

He's so amused with his thoughts that he doesn't notice that Korekiyo stopped walking about 5 doors ago. He turns around after hearing the other guy laugh, and his ears burn a bit. He really should pay more attention. He shuffles back to the door Korekiyo stopped at and waits as he raps on the door with one knuckle.

It takes a few more taps, but the door opens. Oh, it's that blonde girl with the music note clip. "Oh! Shinguuji!" She greets him pleasantly, stepping aside so they both can enter. "Thank you for visiting me, it's been a little bit." She strolls over to the piano in the corner of the room, right next to the open blinds that cast light on her sheet music. The lights are off in the room, but the light from the window is more than good enough to see by. It's a nice setup. She rifles through the sheet music she keeps in the little music stand on the piano. "Let's see, I only have Renaissance pieces with me today, I'm practicing for a performance at Tokorozawa." Amazing how she can just say something like that so casually. Hoshi guesses it's the same as him playing internationally in tennis, but it's still staggering to see someone be so _good_ at something you can barely wrap your head around. 

"If I'd known you were going to come around, I would have gotten some traditional music. I realized I hadn't played you any, but I'm sure there's one or two I can play by ear." 

She hasn't even seen Hoshi yet. She looked _up_ at Shinguuji, after all, and spent so much time focusing on finding decent music that she probably didn't think to look for a second person, to begin with. So she's reasonably startled when Korekiyo says "Hoshi, what would you like to listen to," and turns around and sees that there's just a whole other person in the room with them. Her face flushes an embarrassed pink at her social faux pas. 

"Oh! Sorry! I didn't, uh, see you! I don't mean to be rude!" She bows slightly. "I'm Kaede Akamatsu, and I'm the Ultimate Pianist. I'm really happy that the two of you came to visit me, it's nice to have someone to play for." 

Hoshi just nods. This girl is so polite and sweet, and he has no clue how to even respond to someone like that. "Well, uh, I'm not much of a classical guy," he says, and only realizes how stupid he's sounded after the words left his mouth. "I mean, not to say that it isn't interesting," he puts both of his hands up, "Just, never really been able to get into that circle. I'm just saying that, well, I'll listen to whatever. Can't tell the difference." He mutters that last part and shuffles side to side. Kaede's giving him this good-natured smile he doesn't feel like he deserves. "Well, in that case, I'll just play what I've been working on. Is that alright with you, Shinguuji?"

Korekiyo nods. "I'll fetch some chairs from one of the empty rooms." The girl is practically brimming with excitement as Korekiyo leaves to get chairs, and she works on organizing her sheet music stand and settling herself down at the piano. 

"Sorry about Kokichi," The girl says quietly, and Hoshi's almost sure he didn't hear her. "What do you mean?"

"Kokichi Ouma, in our class. Oh, sorry if you didn't know! I'm in your class. We haven't spoken yet, I should have introduced myself sooner. Kokichi's.... he's nice deep down, honest. He's just a bit of a troublemaker."

Hoshi just shrugs, bemused that she feels the need to apologize on the behalf of someone else like that. "Eh, it's fine. Was bound to happen at some point or another. Might as well get it over with now." He tries to be a good sport about it to calm her nerves a bit, and it works. She visibly relaxes and they idle about in silence until Korekiyo gets back. It isn't a bad silence, she's a bit too nice for it to ever be a bad silence, Hoshi thinks. Instead, it's just more... peaceful. Not entirely companionable, but peaceful. He enjoys her company, he decides. 

As soon as the tacky plastic chairs are set up, the concert begins. Hoshi is immediately enraptured. It's not like anything he's ever heard in person before, and watching it instead of listening ng to it gives the concert a whole new feel to it. Her eyes are half-lidded as she plays, long fingers gliding across the keys, pressing lightly at some point and firm at others. Her foot pedals lightly and her body sometimes rises and slumps as if to keep time. She seems enamored with her own music, and Hoshi feels the same. It's like she's typing on a keyboard, except instead of words it's music. A bestseller of a song. Not the most poetic, but the best Hoshi can do. 

As soon as she finished one piece, she jumps into another. Hoshi's not even sure if she finished or if there's just a pause in the middle, he knows that some classical music drags on forever. Here, though, it isn't a bad thing. The song's long, yeah, but it's serene and enjoyable. Sometimes it picks up the pace, going fast and loud, like the climax of a battle or a dramatic love confession. Hoshi's sure he could sit here all day and just listen, making up stories to the songs in his mind. But soon, it is over. Not abruptly, it kind of fizzles to a stop in a somber and somewhat sad way. 

"Phew!" Kaede says. "How was it?" She turns to the boys. Korekiyo responds easily, saying that he enjoys her music as always, and he isn't much of a critic and that he apologizes for not being able to provide anything constructive, but Hoshi just sits there. Maybe that's the power of an Ultimate musician. 

He blinks a few times and shakes his head. "It was cool. I liked it. I liked the uh, fast loud parts." He sounds like an idiot, he's aware, but she beams like he's just given her the best compliment in the world. "Thank you! I've been working on my dynamic recently, so it's nice to hear that it's noticeable." Score. 

The two depart with a goodbye. Kaede makes Korekiyo promise to come by sometime in the week to listen to some of her traditional pieces, and he accepts readily. He says he'll take notes, which is kinda endearing in its own way. Notes on a song. Music, for research purposes.

"Well, how was it?" Korekiyo asks his companion as the two go down the stairs. "I figured it was a nice way to start the tour. Relaxing too, after the day you seem to be having."

"So you were watching me then? At, uh, the tennis courts?" Of course, Korekiyo could just be talking about this morning, but Hoshi figures he might as well ask again since his roommate avoided his question the first time. "Well," Shinguuji starts, his voice delicate, "I am an anthropologist. It is my job to observe human nature in its most raw and unfiltered state. I figured you would make wonderful research."

Something about the way that was phrased set Hoshi's teeth on edge. "I'm not 'research'," He says irritably. Korekiyo doesn't say anything back, instead looking at the ceiling. 

"There's nothing wrong with being research," he says after they reach the landing for the second floor. Korekiyo pushes open the huge double doors for Hoshi. "Every person is valuable information. That is why your search engines use analytics to see what you enjoy. It is valuable information." His voice is almost a hum with how low it is. "This hall has some of the classrooms for the upperclassmen and some art classrooms. There's not much here for me, though there are some students from our class if you want to say hello." 

"I'll pass," he says. He just sounds tired, which he supposes is how he feels. He's not mad, per se, just... tired. It's hard enough being stared at and mocked by other classmates, but some tiny part of him had hoped that Shinguuji would be different. But, he guesses it's to be expected. He forfeited that sense of privacy and security when he became national news, after all. "Another time then," his guide says lightly. Hoshi shrugs. "The hall connected to it, at the end? It has a lot of the more... scholarly study areas. Come, I can show you my area."

This guy is really just acting like he didn't admit to spying on Hoshi like some sort of project during the middle of what could only be described as a mental breakdown. Did he take _notes_ on that too? Would he be publishing a paper on it? _An Anthropological Study of Guilty Murderers and Their Public Freakouts. By Korekiyo Shinguuji._ He doesn't want to be a case. He doesn't want to be studied. "Pass," He says again, and without another word to the anthropologist, turns back towards the landing. "I'm going to my dorm. Don't wait up."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hoshi exhales deeply through his mouth. "Imagine if someone took those people from you. Someone hurt them or killed them. They... aren't coming back. Now imagine that's your fault." 

It's hard to be mad at the person you're rooming with because they can just follow you back to your dorm. This is a pretty major oversight that Hoshi doesn't think of just yet as he storms away. God, he doesn't even know _why_ that ticked him off so much. Maybe it has to do with the media. He remembers the cameras being shoved in his face at every opportune moment, declining interviews, being _observed._ He hates it.

He knows he's not supposed to be without an escort, and he doesn't really know his way around to begin with, so he gets lost for about half an hour, wandering the halls by himself. See, he's giving himself his own damn tour. Except he doesn't know where he is or how to get back to the dorms. He knows he has to go outside at some point, but he doesn't know which direction to turn. 

Sighing in mild defeat, he resolves to take himself to the gardens he saw outside his classroom earlier in the day. It would be easier to take it from there. He could find the classroom by looking up and try to figure out what entrance he came from...

Oh, whatever. It's peaceful out here at least, and still early-ish. The sun is setting, staining the sky and clouds an orange-yellow that takes Hoshi's breath away. He's missed the sunset. And being outside, in a garden. Being alone, not because he has to but out of choice. Breathing in the fresh air that almost burns his lungs with its purity. All of these fragmented thoughts rush to his mind at all in a way that almost makes him dizzy. Sitting down in the grass, looking at flowers and plants, being able to reach out and feel their leaves beneath his fingertips if he so chooses. Listening to the calls of birds and seeing their silhouettes fly overhead. Quiet. Not silence, not solitary that leaves him scared and helpless, but quiet. There is noise, but his head makes almost none of it. 

"Oh..! Ryoma?" 

It's the boy from earlier, Gonta. Ryoma can't help but call him a boy; though he is large, he's so childish in personality. From the previous encounters, Hoshi's quite sure the guy isn't just going to leave him alone. Whatever. He could use someone transparent to talk to after dealing with Korekiyo pretty much all day. Gonta stomps over to him and plops himself down with an almost practiced carefulness, flattening the grass underneath him immediately. Well, at least no one can say he doesn't have an escort anymore. Gonta could break him in half if he so chose. Not that he ever would. It's fine. His presence... surprisingly, his presence isn't a bother. Hoshi just hopes he isn't interrupting the other guy from anything important. 

Hoshi nods his greeting, having to look almost straight up to do so. Gonta smiles down at him. "Wow! Hoshi is even smaller this close!" He tries not to take that personally and looks away. "Yeah, I get that a lot." 

He has a habit of ending conversations short like that. Gonta looks around, obviously trying to think of something to say. His eyes narrow with thought and his eyebrows scrunch up, so he looks like he's angry. "Um..." he holds the 'm' for a long time as he thinks, exhaling through the sound. "Gonta sees a lot of bugs in the garden. That's why he is out here for so long every day." Hoshi nods. That's his talent, it makes sense. "Even through dinner sometimes. But Gonta is gonna go today. Would Hoshi wanna go with Gonta?" Almost immediately, Hoshi shakes his head. Sure, all he's had today was a cup of coffee, but he's seriously not hungry. In fact, his stomach feels so knotted that if he eats he thinks he might throw up. "I really just wanna go back to my dorm. But I'm kinda turned around." 

"Okay! Gonta will take you!" He didn't even have to ask. Hoshi's surprised that someone like this could be so nice for no reason. And it's pretty obvious that Gonta doesn't have any malicious intent. He literally doesn't seem like he _can_ have malicious intent. So Hoshi agrees, and the pair behind walking back towards the dormitories. 

At first, it's quiet. Then, Gonta begins to ask him questions. His voice softens a little from his usually over-energetic tone. "Uh... Hoshi really kill someone?" His voice wavers a. little, as if he's not sure he's supposed to be asking. Hoshi nods slowly, feeling his skin prickle a bit. "Mm."

"Why..?" Hoshi stops walking. He pulls his hat over his face again and sighs. Why. That's a question that he's had a long time to think about. There are so many answers he could give.

Because the man he killed was a murderer. 

Because he got cocky and put his entire family at risk.

Because he was irresponsible, reckless, and his choices cost him the lives of everyone he'd ever cared about.

Because he had nothing else to lose at that point. 

"Who is the person you care about most in the world, Gokuhara?" The entomologist raises an eyebrow as if he doesn't quite understand the question or possibly how it is related to what he asked, but he answers regardless. "Gonta has lots of favorite people. His human family!" Now it's Hoshi's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Human family?"

"Yes! Gonta got lost when he was little. He was found! But took ten years. So Gonta was raised by wolves in the forest." Hoshi blinks once, twice. So many more things made sense. How large he was, how slightly animalistic, unruly, unkempt. He was a man of the woods. 

That's... actually kind of awesome. Well, okay, having severe trauma from getting lost in the woods and basically fending for yourself and having to reacclimate to society isn't _awesome,_ per se, but it would make for a kickass memoir. Hoshi would read that, and he doesn't even read too often. He nods in response. 

"Gonta loves his human family and his wolf family the same and very much. Why Hoshi ask Gonta?"

Hoshi exhales deeply through his mouth. "Imagine if someone took those people from you. Someone hurt them or killed them. They... aren't coming back. Now imagine that's your fault." 

He looks straight ahead as he walks. "Back when I was the Ultimate Tennis Pro, before everything, I lived with my mom. And my dad, and my little sister. And my cat." His lips quirk up before he can help it, and he glances out of the side of his eye at Gonta. His eyes are wide and he wears a peculiar expression on his face. Apprehension. Hoshi's oversharing and it's making him uncomfortable. He shrugs and quickens his pace. "They're gone now. And it's my fault. That's why I'm a bad person. Come on, I'm tired. When we get back to the dorm I'm lying down."

A big hand grabs his shoulder and pulls him back pretty hard. "Ow-!"

"Ah! Sorry! Gonta is sorry! Hoshi just walking too fast..." He sounds sheepish, and Hoshi rolls his shoulder. "S'fine."

"It's just... Hoshi isn't telling Gonta everything?" He says it like a question. "Kokichi say that Hoshi only kill one person, a man. So not your mom or sister. Gonta don't think..." He trails off and fidgets with his hands. "Gentlemen do not lie! So... Hoshi should tell the truth." Gonta holds his gaze for a long time, his red eyes determined and narrowed. 

Hoshi sighs. "Never claimed to be a gentleman... jeez. Okay." Satisfied, Gonta continues to lead Hoshi to the dorms. They're approaching, Hoshi can see the building now. 

"I did a bunch of tournaments. Most of 'em were legal, you know, school competitions or nationals. or international playing. But.. sometimes things were less legal. But they paid if you won, a bunch of money. I used it to do normal stuff, yknow, buy things for my girlfriend, new clothes, stuff like that." 

"Oh! Hoshi has a girlfriend! She must be really pretty." She was. Hoshi sighs. "Yeah. Well, it was stupid. I didn't need the extra money or clothes. I was just some rich tennis kid trying to cheat a system I was already winning at."

"I get a letter inviting me to play a match on a yacht with some rich guy. Thing is, when I get there, they tell me I'm supposed to throw the match. Make the other guy look good. But this guy... he's awful. Terrible. Even if I try to throw it, I can't unless I just stand perfectly still. I trounce him, and he gets pissed. And it turns out... his dad is some big mafia boss from America."

He hasn't talked this much in years, and he's exhausted from it. But maybe if Gonta knows the truth, he'll leave him alone. "And I tell him that I tried to lose. In front of everyone. I said it pretty cocky too. And... in retaliation for being insolent, he murders my entire family and my girlfriend." Saying that leaves the taste of bile in his mouth. He wants to spit out the taste, but he knows from experience that won't work. "So I kill him. That's it." He sounds bitter as they approach the door. Gonta holds it open for him as he enters.

"...Hoshi," he says, before stopping and pressing his lips together. He's thinking. "Here, Gonta will take Hoshi to his room." Hoshi's too emotionally exhausted to argue. The bells outside toll. They're well into the evening now. The sky outside going from orange to purple, dusk spreading overhead like a spilling glass. 

They don't talk on the way up to Hoshi's room. Soon, he begins to sniffle, and Hoshi looks over to see that the big guy is crying. "Hey, uh-" He holds up his hands, not really knowing what to do as Gonta removes his glasses and wipes at his eyes. "No! No, it's okay. Gonta just... a crybaby sometimes. That what Kokichi says." They both stop in the middle of the hall as Gonta composes himself.

He takes a really deep breath and releases it. "Sorry," he says, a little sheepish. "Just... Hoshi been through a lot. Makes Gonta sad. Teenagers should just be teenagers," He says, and the way that he proclaims it makes it sound small, and not as profound as it truly is. "Should be able to play shady tennis. Normal for teens to make mistakes. Would.." Gonta hesitates. "Would Hoshi like to sit next to Gonta tomorrow? Please?"

He really doesn't think Hoshi did anything wrong. Gonta's still asking. "Sometimes Gonta sits with um, people from our class! But sometimes not! Some of the upperclassmen like Gonta! Just... Gonta wanna spend more time with Hoshi, and be his friend. Hoshi is nice, and... even if he did a bad thing, he's still nice!"

Before Hoshi can even deny, they're at his door and Gonta turns to leave, waving. "Gonta not gonna ask super hard, but.. if Hoshi sees him and wanna talk, talk!" 

And he's gone. Hoshi takes off his hat for a moment, frazzled to the point where he feels it necessary to run a finger through his clipped hair. A nap sounds absolutely wonderful. He goes to unlock his door and finds that it's already unlocked. That's unsafe. He opens it, and there sits Shinguuji. 

Goddamnit. 


	6. Breaking Curfew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I am excited... this is the first time I am able to share a space with someone that is not her."

Shinguuji's staring at him expectantly, legs crossed. Hoshi thinks about leaving again, but then he'd probably have to explain things to Gonta that he doesn't really want to explain. Instead, he closes the door and sits down on his bed. He's tired, and he has a splitting headache, exacerbated by hunger and nicotine addiction. He closes his eyes, and when he peeks them open he notices Korekiyo's looking at him. 

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," he mumbles, closing his eyes again so he wouldn't have to look at the guy. "Yes, but it would not be quite so interactive." Hoshi's certain he can hear the amusement in that half-whisper of his. He casts off his jacket somewhere on the floor and barely resists the urge to burrow under his covers and stay there until tomorrow. He doesn't want to have a conversation with this guy on how watching someone have a meltdown or flashback or whatever and taking _notes_ on it isn't socially acceptable behavior. Is this why he didn't' have a roommate before? He freaked some other poor kid out too much and got moved to High School Isolation? 

His stomach rumbles slightly, and he opts to ignore it. He isn't really up for eating, hasn't been since he was in prison, and promises himself that he'll get breakfast in the morning.

"You're ashamed." The other boy's voice rouses him, and he opens his eyes and peeks at him, confused. "Huh?"

Korekiyo's at his desk. There's a cup of tea and a book atop it, both of which seem to equally have his attention. Hoshi doesn't even know if the guy was talking to him or not, that's how absorbed he seems to be in his own reading. "Shame is reflected differently in the typical man than it is in the typical woman. Of course, different societies have different ways of handling shame as well. For example, the old ritual of harakiri when a samurai has been faced with disgrace, ostracization, or shunning of a societal member, to even something as simple as turning the eyes away when faced with the victim of a shameful act." 

Hoshi felt his cheeks heat. Korekiyo continues, "Shame as an emotion is seen as something to be hidden, and in some cases this is rightful. Shame for disobedience, for putting others in harm's way. But you... I've no clue why you feel shame, Hoshi." He pauses to take a drink of his tea. "It surely cannot be a shame for past actions. I do not know you nor your level of intelligence, but I assume that you understand that jail is more than enough repentance for a crime. That's the point of imprisonment. Atonement has been reached through confinement. So why are you ashamed?"

After a moment, Hoshi lays down and turn to face the wall. This is not a conversation that he wants to have, and if he has to have it there's no way he's having it with eye contact. "You don't have me as figured out as you seem to think."

"Then kindly explain what I have gotten wrong."

The nerve of this guy. "Well, I'm not 'ashamed' like you think I am." Two arms raise in the air to give very visible air quotes. "I know that jail's how I'm supposed to pay back society for what I did. That's not why I'm ashamed. I'm ashamed because I have the nerve to... To act like that. I know you saw it. If you were watching, you'd have to have seen. I'm ashamed because I have the audacity to have responses like that to a situation that was my fault. I'm ashamed because... I have the audacity to think of myself as a victim when I'm not. I don't get to have the reaction of a victim."

There's silence. The turn of a page. Hoshi half-hopes that his roommate just won't reply to that comment, but of course, he cannot be given that luxury. "That response is not limited to people that are 'victims.' Those are merely responses of post-traumatic stress. It is a lot more common than you would think, you know, and it is not exclusive to any one person in a situation. There are plenty of sociological, psychological, and physiological studies that I could offer you on the matter." 

"Well, you're the expert, and I'll defer to you on that, but... it doesn't make it any less gross to feel. You asked, and that's my answer. Being seen through all that-"

"Listen," Korekiyo speaks so abruptly that Hoshi rolls over to look at his roommate, who has turned to look at Hoshi completely. His gaze is so undivided that it's unsettling. His eyes look brighter than normal. "It is fine. Those reactions... are fine. You are the person that I am to share space with for this semester, and for that I am grateful." He pauses, closing his eyes for a moment. "I am excited... this is the first time I am able to share a space with someone that is not _her._ And... I was eager to gather information about you. But... I understand that social bonds are more than observation, obviously, and I must have overstepped a boundary. That is right?"

He opens his eyes, and Hoshi nods wordlessly. 

"Then rest assured that it will not happen again. I will make sure to ask before gathering information on you." His voice lilts as if he's joking, but Ryouma is not sure if he is or not. And what does he mean by... her? And why does he say it with that tone in his voice? "I want you to be able to feel comfortable around me, Hoshi. So... thank you for letting me know." His voice quiets. "Would you like to accompany me to dinner? I'll be late, but it really isn't much of a problem since I've no prior arrangements." 

Despite how hungry he feels, Hoshi shakes his head. He doesn't really feel up to being around so many people that he doesn't really know, and he can just eat in the morning "Nah... I'm a little tired, so I plan on hitting the hay a little earlier." Korekiyo does not say anything but nods slowly. It's hard to tell with the mask but Hoshi is sure he looks skeptical; his eyebrows are raised slightly. "Well, if you change your mind... I find myself a bit hard to miss in a crowd, kehehe."

And then he's gone. 

Hoshi groans out loud. This guy is _something._ At least in prison people were _normal._

He stretches, cracking his neck on both sides, and finds that he actually is kind of tired from his panic attack earlier. Crawling under the covers is way easier when no one is there, and before he really knows it he slips off to sleep. 

Hoshi is woken up by a tickle near his ear. He swats at it, half-asleep, and mumbles something incoherent. He hears a small snicker near his ear, and he still isn't sure if it's in his dream or if it's like _really_ there, so he swats at it again and rolls over.

"Hoshi..." He feels someone poking at his side, and it wakes him up fully. He sits up slowly, absolutely dazed from his heavy sleep. He can see that it's still dark outside, and the room is lit only by the lamp on Shinguuji's desk. 

"Whuh?" He mumbles, still asleep, and rubs art his eyes for a second. "'S the middle of the night, right..? Unless there's an eclipse or something?" His roommate snickers again and nods. "Well, it is the middle of the night, you are correct there. But I thought.. this would be the perfect time to continue our little tour."

Hoshi stares at him for a second. He's slowly gathering his bearings, and definitely enough to know that what Korekiyo just said seems a little stupid to his brain. "Why now,, I mean, what time is it?" 

"it's two thirteen. AM, though I'm sure I didn't need to tell you that. Think about it for a second... No one else will be around, so you do not need to have your worries about being perceived. I can merely show you the important rooms, and the rooms that I find interesting. We have made amends, and I cannot think of a better time for it."

Made amends, huh? Hoshi I not sure about all of that, but he isn't fuming at the other guy anymore. "But what if we get caught?" Korekiyo laughs a little at Hoshi's caution. "I never thought a big-time rule-breaker like you would be concerned about a little boarding school discipline. Nothing terrible." 

Shinguuji has a point there. Hoshi cannot really think of any reason to object. He's slept rather early, so after stretching he feels quite well-rested, and he may not get a chance like this again to roam the halls without worrying about other people's perceptions of him. "I'm in." 

Korekiyo leads him down a new set of hallways. He says that these rooms are used for more scholarly pursuits. Unlike the rooms used for studying science or the garages used for doing shop work, these rooms are _not_ reinforced with metal, because there is less of a chance of structural damage from an explosion. The chance isn't _zero,_ but it's way smaller than the near-constant fires and detonations for the more STEM-based Ultimates. 

Hoshi is led to a room lined wall-to-wall with books. The room was locked initially, but Korekiyo produced a small key. He must have permission to visit this room in hours where it would normally be closed. The books all seem to be related to society in some manner, from specific studies of lands that Hoshi had never heard of before to scientific studies on general trends in modern societies. Hoshi spends some time looking at the names of the books. Some of them are very, very old, and the binding holding the pages together looks almost ready to fall apart. Hoshi's almost scared to touch those books. Some of them are in languages with scripts that he can't even guess.

In the center of the room, there is a glass display case. Hoshi peers inside of it only to see what looks like a bunch of boxes with labels. Korekiyo taps the glass with a wrapped hand. "This case holds artifacts that I have found last semester. I"ve already examined and logged them in their natural state, but some of them require cleaning to get a closer look. It's very careful work, and I'll display them in the case when I've finished. For now, though, they're hidden. If you are truly interested, I can show you some later. Not this late or when it is this dark... I have to handle them very carefully."

Before either of them know what's really happening, they're both sitting in opposite chairs and Korekiyo is talking about the research he did last semester I the Norwegian countryside, collecting artifacts and talking to locals. It's apparently one of the _many_ languages he can speak with an almost near-perfect tongue. "I learn languages as I go... I do not really know the rules of many of them. I simply speak to the local people as they speak to me. It can take weeks or months, but... I believe it is worth it. Linguistics is very important to a culture, you know... The way people speak frames the way they perceive." 

Hoshi... he's actually interested in this. He didn't think he would be, the only other language he knows is English, and only planned to travel for tennis tournaments, but hearing about how this other high schooler has gone to so many places that he can't even imagine... it's kind of fun. He can travel vicariously through this anthropologist, even when he's stuck in Japan on murder charges.

Soon, though, Hoshi begins to feel faint. He tries to stay engaged, to keep listening as he hears about exactly how one goes about cleaning artifacts while keeping their original integrity, but he feels himself slumping over without helping it. He isn't tired, per se, definitely not, but he feels drained, and his arms are shaking slightly. Korekiyo notices and slowly stops talking. "Hoshi... are you feeling alright?"

Hoshi nods and waves his hand once. "Fine," he says, and it feels like all he can manage as he almost falls out of his chair. Shinguuji lunges forward and catches him, before helping him lean back. He presses a hand to Hoshi's forehead. "You don't seem to have a fever..." 

"It's not that," Ryouma says, "Just.. didn't really eat today. I wasn't really feeling it, but it's fine. I'm not going to _starve_ or anything, I'll just remember to have breakfast tomorrow." Korekiyo gives him a sharp glare, sharper than he expected. "That's irresponsible," he scolds. Hoshi can't help but snort and roll his eyes. "I'll survive." He isn't used to having someone fuss over him like that, not since everything happened. "Just... go back to what you were talking about."

Korekiyo shakes his head. "I'll tell you more after you eat something." He crosses his arms as if petulant. "Come, we can go back to the dorm room. I have packaged rice crackers..." 

The two begin to walk back to their dorm. Hoshi feels a little more comfortable around SHinguuji. He's honestly not so bad if he keeps the talk to anthropology (which is cool, who knew,) and not on Hoshi's personal business. "I'm glad you got to see that room. I spend a lot of my time in there, so if you need something urgently and I am not in class or our shared living space, then that is where you should look."

"You don't ever like, go to someone else's room? Hang out with friends?" Korekiyo gives Hoshi an amused look at this. "Surprisingly, not often. I focus a lot on research, and near the end of most semesters, I do some studying abroad. There are some people I like to talk to, but... They have to be people _she_ would talk to." He casts his gaze towards the ground. "But that is not important. My friends are lovely people, much like Kaede is. I'm sure you will grow to like them as well." He speaks brusquely at this point, clearly wanting to move on, and Hoshi does not push any topic. At least _one_ of them here can appreciate the value of emotional space-

Hoshi's' on the floor without realizing when he got there. He must've collapsed. He hasn't collapsed from not eating in about a month, and it's still jarring whenever it happens. "Hoshi!" Korekiyo cringes at the volume of his own voice, remembering that they were not really supposed to be out so late. "This will not do at all." Without warning, he hoists Hoshi up and begins to carry him.

"What is it with people picking me up today," Hoshi murmurs. 

"Well, if you hadn't neglected your body, it would not have come to this." Korekiyo lectures lightly. "And do not think that it has something to do with your size. I would have carried you if you were my height... well." He hums. "If I could. I would hate to have to bother someone else this late. You're lucky that you're light." 

It's kind of nice to have people worry about him like this, though Hoshi would never say it out loud. It feels.. somewhat normal again. Having people to rely on, even if he doesn't necessarily deserve it. He feels awful, of course, taking advantage of the kindness of someone like this, but as he slips in and out of sleep he wonders if he can be a little selfish on nights like these. 

Korekiyo shakes him awake once they are in their room and makes him senbei until he's sure that Hoshi won't keel over in the middle of the night even though the shorter boy tried to assure him countless times that it would be fine, that he would just wake up hungry and go eat in the morning. He comments on how people can apparently go weeks without eating before they die, but the look Korekiyo gives him is so reproachful that he wishes he hadn't said it. 

It was a pretty good night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all for being so patient with me with updating... i do not promise a consistent schedule because school + work + therapy + aaaaaa but (: I'm glad people like this and have it bookmarked


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